Italy May Have Broken EU Law

Without using any competitive bidding, the county purchased military and civil helicopters only from Agusta (part of the state-controlled Finmeccanica), which is an illegal measure. Therefore, European Union regulators have begun legal proceedings against Italy. In that lawsuit, Rome cited national security grounds for not holding public tenders for the helicopters. Today’s decision involved the EU sending a "letter of formal notice" to Italy requesting more information on the case. If not satisfied with the response, the Commission can send a final warning, setting out why it thinks there has been a breach of EU law. For related news